Background information

Tonj State is one of the 28 states of South Sudan. It is located in the Bahr el Ghazal region and it borders Wau to the west, Gbudwe to the southwest, Gogrial to the northwest, Northern Liech to the northeast, Gok and Southern Liech to the east, and Western Lakes to the south and east. The capital city of the state is Tonj Town located on a river in the northwestern part of South Sudan and is the largest city in the Warrap region. The town is located along the main highway from Wau to Rumbek. Tonj is a key town along the main trade route from Uganda heading north into South Sudan.

Tonj State is home to the Dinka Rek people, a sub-tribe of the Dinka. The people of Tonj grow crops and raise livestock. In the village’s central market, food, vegetables and basic goods are sold daily. The main crops grown by farmers in the area includes Maize, Sorghum, Sesame, Groundnuts, Other Vegetables, Millet, Cassava and Rice. The majority of the farmers in the state are growing these crops on subsistence basis.

The main natural sources of water for the residents of Tonj State include rivers, streams and springs. There are two main rivers that cut through the state of Tonj. The Jur river passes through the northern part of the state while the Tonj river passes through the southern and eastern part of the state. The western and central part of the state is not served by any river. The residents also get water from boreholes that have been drilled in several areas of the state. However some villages still experience a lack of accessible clean water as they are located very far from rivers and no boreholes have been drilled in these villages.

The many challenges facing the people of Tonj State and other parts of South Sudan can be blamed on the many years that the country was engaged in war with Northern Sudan. The first civil war between the Muslim Arab North and the Christian African South started in 1955 and stopped through a peace accord in 1972. That war lasted 17 years. The South was the war arena and carried the full brunt of the war. There was a peace lull between 1972– 1982. Another civil war broke out in 1983 until 9th January 2005 when another peace agreement between the North and the South was signed between the main belligerents, still the South was the field of the war and a very high price was paid by the Southern Sudanese. Over 2 million were killed, 4 million were displaced from their homes and another 1 million fled to neighboring countries to seek refuge. The two civil wars also resulted in the destruction of infrastructure in the entire South Sudan and also that there was no meaningful development during the period of the war.

Even with the civil war now ended and the independence of South Sudan about 5 years ago, the challenges are still many and the government which is still at its infancy is struggling to cope with these challenges. The inter-ethnic conflicts among the various communities of South Sudan are compounding these challenges. The government alone cannot manage to address these challenges and it requires input from the international community, donors, the church and other stakeholders to come up with effective solutions to address the many challenges facing the people of South Sudan.

It is against this long established background that the Tonj Area Diocese feels obliged to participate and mobilise the communities of Tonj State in the general development of the area and the development of clean water sources.

Project Goal

To improve hygiene and sanitation of residents of 8 villages in Tonj Area Diocese through the provision of clean and accessible water. The villages are Adol, Makuach, Juol gok, Wunlit, Lurchuk, Ngapagok, Wunangui and Arich Villages.

Project Objectives

1) To provide clean drinking water to residents of the 8 villages in Tonj Area Diocese.

2) To contract an experienced borehole driller to drill the boreholes and install hand pumps.

3) To coordinate with the local communities to identify and train community pump caretakers and maintenance/repair staff.

Justification

Tonj Area diocese occupies the flat grassland plains of northern Bahr El Ghazal. Half of the year is dry season and people look for drinking water at distant water points for hours. These water points are natural holes or pools or dug wells which are not protected from polluting sources e.g. Tree leaves, rubbish, animals or birds. As a result, people are infected with many water borne diseases. During the rainy seasons, Tonj Area plains are flooded except on the highlands. At this time, people get water nearer to homes but still as much polluted water, causing many diseases. The provision of boreholes water will ensure that incidences of water borne diseases are reduced.

Project Activities

The Diocesan leadership in conjunction with the community will identify the sites where the boreholes will be drilled. The villages that will benefit from this project and where the boreholes will be drilled are Adol, Makuach, Marialou Juol gok, Wunlit, Lurchuk, Ngapagok, Wunangui and Alich. Tonj Area Diocese shall appoint a supervisor for the boreholes.

Objective 3.2 – To contract water driller to drill the wells and install hand pumps

Tonj Area Diocese will award a contract to a driller of boreholes that has had experience and track record in Southern Sudan in general and in Bahr el Ghazal in particular. Tonj Area Diocese shall spell out very clearly what types of pumps, protection of wells and maintenance procedures are to be carried out by the contractor/driller.

Objective 3.3 – To coordinate with local community to identify and train community pump caretakers, hygiene and maintenance/repair staff.

The Tonj Area Diocese shall coordinate with community to identify suitable members who can be trained to take care of the pump/well. A hygiene person (preferably a woman) will be trained on each well so that water at the borehole is protected from pollution. Another person shall be appointed in the community to maintain/repair the pump in case of breakdowns.

Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries of the water borehole project are residents in 8 villages of Tonj State. These villages are Adol, Makuach, Juol gok, Wunlit, Lurchuk, Ngapagok, Wunangui and Alich Villages. Each borehole will be used by upto 150 households. The average household in the area has 5 members and therefore the project will benefit about 6000 beneficiaries.

Local Contribution

The local communities that will be allotted the boreholes shall contribute land on which the borehole will be located. The communities shall also contribute labor and food to assist and feed the drillers when they are working in the area. Hygiene and maintenance staff shall be identified by the local community. The maintenance/repair staff shall be trained to take care of their boreholes.

Sustainability

Each borehole shall have l Borehole Management Committee 9BMC) to supervise usage and maintenance of the borehole. The committees shall be made up of 5 members selected from the beneficiaries using the borehole. The membership of the committee shall be gender sensitive, include the pastor from the local church, a women, a youth and the disabled. This committee can impose a small fee of water to be collected per month from each household using the borehole. The money collected from the users shall be used to undertake repairs in case the borehole breaks down.

Expected Results/Outcomes

8 boreholes drilled and functional.

Improved access to clean water to the residents in 8 villages.

Formation of 8 Borehole Management Committee (BMC).

Monitoring and Evaluation

The Tonj Area Diocese will have the overall responsibility for monitoring the implementation of project activities, including producing progress and financial reports. An approach, which embraces participatory principles involving the beneficiary communities and other development partners, for regular review to assess achievement of agreed goals and objectives of the programme, will be developed.

A mid-term evaluation of the project will be conducted by Operation Christ Abroad staff during the fourth month of project implementation. This will offer an opportunity to make any adjustments in programme implementation. At the end of the project, an external and independent evaluation of the project will be conducted. The diocese will also prepare financial and narrative reports about the implementation of the project.

Budget

Item

Quantity

Unit Price (US$)

Total (US$)

Borehole Drilling

5

15,000

75,000

Monitoring and Evaluation

1,500

Sub Total

76,500

Administration Cost (5%)

3,825

Total

$ 80,325

Activity Schedule

YEAR 1

Activities

M1

M2

M3

M4

M5

M6

Responsibility

Project Mobilization Activities (meetings with community and relevant government departments)